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2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

46 Ranked Colleges
2,044 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Political Science is the 13th most popular major in the country with 47,549 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 2,044 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 46 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the political science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

1
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 153 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $1,938 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at University of Pennsylvania

2
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haverford College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Haverford also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $9,272 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Haverford.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Political Science at Haverford

3
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

Swarthmore not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore is $4,012 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Swarthmore College

4
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #4 spot on the list. Lafayette is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lafayette has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lafayette is $12,400 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Lafayette Political Science Report

5
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dickinson College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. Dickinson is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Dickinson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dickinson is $12,027 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Dickinson College

6
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Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 47 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Franklin and Marshall has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Franklin and Marshall College is $13,110 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Franklin and Marshall College

7
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 71 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Gettysburg also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $13,799 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Gettysburg College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Gettysburg College Political Science Report

8
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 89 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Bucknell also took the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell University is $28,153 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at Bucknell University

9
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Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Williamsport, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

Lycoming also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Lycoming is $12,949 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lycoming College Political Science Report

10
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Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 133 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Villanova also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Villanova University is $26,460 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Villanova University

11
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Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Saint Vincent is located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saint Vincent, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Vincent is $17,606 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Saint Vincent College

12
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Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg Area Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harrisburg Area Community College is a fairly large school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend HACC is $10,425 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at Harrisburg Area Community College

13
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Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Muhlenberg is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Muhlenberg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,330 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Muhlenberg College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Muhlenberg College Political Science Report

14
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Temple is a public institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 145 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $19,355 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Temple Political Science Report

15

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 207 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $17,691 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at Pitt

16
Allegheny crest
Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania

Allegheny College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Allegheny not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,748 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Allegheny College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Allegheny College Political Science Report

17
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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #17, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. SRU is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 21 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $15,507 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

18

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,956 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bloomsburg.

Read more about Political Science at Bloomsburg

19
Albright crest
Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #19, Albright College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Albright is a small school located in Reading, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Albright College is $14,822 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at Albright College

20
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West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #20, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. WCUPA is a public institution located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WCUPA also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $16,325 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full WCUPA Political Science Report

21

York College of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. York College of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in York, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend York College of Pennsylvania is $18,893 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full YCP Political Science Report

22
W&J crest
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #22, Washington & Jefferson College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Washington, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, W&J has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend W&J is $21,570 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full W&J Political Science Report

23
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Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Susquehanna University is a small school located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania that handed out 22 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Susquehanna has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Susquehanna is $18,710 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Susquehanna

24

With a ranking of #24, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edinboro is a small school located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro is $13,001 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

25

California University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Cal U is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,063 for pennsylvania poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal U.

Read full report on Political Science at Cal U

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